Eamonn

"If some Scouts came to you questioning the accuracy of some statement by some legitimate authority, would you encourage them or discourage them?" I think this begs the question who or what is the "legitimate authority"? Many times in this forum things that are widely accepted as being right are found to have foundation or can't be backed up with any statement or BSA material. In some units the program has been tweaked to such an extent that the authority has shifted from the BSA to the unit. As a rule I encourage Scouts to question anything and everything. At times they question things which maybe I have for a long time just accepted as just being right, which doesn't always mean are right!! Dealing with teenagers who think they are right can be a challenge, they at times see being right as an excuse for being rude or disrespectful. Which of course it isn't. This situation can be made worse if the young person deems that an injustice has happened, it doesn't always have to be something that has happened to that young person. Looking at what the wise words from Eagledad. I kinda think this was where I was trying to go in the thread about my quest for leadership. There are times no matter how well founded the statement is or where it came from, the best thing we as leaders can do is allow the Scouts to find things out for themselves. (Providing of course safety isn't a factor)I can as an example tell Scouts that their backpack shouldn't weigh more than X amount and they should do everything to keep the weight down. Still some one will want to take the flashlight that runs on four D cell batteries and a boom box (I'm joking!!) The best way for him or her to find out how unwise this is . Is to let them try it. Eamonn.

While COR's are invited to attend the Council Annual meeting and vote for the incoming Executive Board, they have no vote after that. They are of course welcome to attend the District Committee meeting. In theory the District Chairman represents them at the Board meetings. Of course how the District Chair presents their case is something else. While I'm 100% for having people from the community and business world sit on our boards, we do seem to (At least in our Council)have added these people and taken away the people who know what the program is and how it works. Last year when we faced ending the year $250,000 in the hole, some of us seen $250,000 as being a lot of money, trying to explain this to Company Executives who spend that much on entertaining can be a hard job. Also when it comes to salary, they earn the big bucks, so when they heard that someone is a Scout Executive they think he /she is entitled to similar compensation. But when you look at the responsibilities of a company executive, who has to answer to the share holders and is responsible for a lot more money and has a lot of people are dependent on the company for their livelihood and the responsibility of a Scout Executive? I think the produce manager of our local store has more responsibility and earns a lot less than half. We have in the past fired a Scout Executive. Believe me it doesn't sit well with the powers that be, the Council was placed on the conditional/ provisional charter list for a year. We have very little say in how much a Scout Executive will earn, that scale is set by National. A new DE starts out at over $35,000 a new teacher in our school district starts out at $22,000. Something just isn't right. Worse still is the fact that we just can't afford it and these salaries are hurting the program and the kids we serve. Eamonn.

"like the VCR " Sadly I had the VCR mastered!! But it gave way to the DVD -Recorder. I spent a week on that one! I did manage to eventually get both video and audio!! While I was out I did buy a new projector. Staples had one on sale. The one I have now weighs about the same as a 1954 Rolls-Royce, comes in it's own hard case with wheels!! It takes up about half the room in the boot of the car. As yet it's still in the box. - I'll wait till a holiday weekend to try and figure that one out!! Eamonn

I think Beavah, has hit the nail on the head. I have a real hard time asking the families we serve to support and pay the salaries of the professional staff. Sadly the small towns in our area are facing a declining population and those that remain are the older residents. Most of our Scouts come from Westmoreland County Where The: Average wage per job $30145 Median household income: $37,106. Somehow asking these people to dig deep to pay the salary of a guy who is making three times what they do just doesn't seem right. Eamonn.

While I have heard what OGE states many times. I have never seen it in writing. I'm not a big Mike Walton fan. The link leads to a page which is full of things that are just wrong!( Some are just outdated and some were never right.) So while I have never seen it, I also have never read that a BSA uniform has been retired or is not to be worn Eamonn.

I really liked the Ipods that our Scouts took along this summer. When the time came I bought one for OJ, for his birthday. Black Friday, I stopped in at Wal-mart and while it wasn't an Ipod I bought myself a 5GB RCA whatever they call it. I think it can hold something like 15,000 songs. I don't have 15,000 songs on my computer. In fact I don't have any. So I thought I'd copy my CD's onto the computer. I have a lot of stuff on my PC, so I thought I'd put them on my laptop. Looking at the Windows updates I seen that there was a newer media-player. I downloaded it. I didn't like the look of it, but thought that in time I'd get used to it. I tried it and didn't hear a sound. Checked all the drivers everything seemed fine. Un-installed the media-player and reinstalled it. Still nothing, ran all the diagnostic tests. I watched bouncing black boxes, but still couldn't get a chirp out of the darn thing. If I could have got my hands on Bill Gates I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. I spent almost 3 hour playing with this darn thing and still no sound. Then the light went on. I remembered that I'd turned the volume down on the unit. Boy did I feel silly. Sad thing is that I gave up! The player is still in it's box, there still isn't any music on the computer and I still don't like the look of new media player -Maybe I can change it? I think it can wait till I have a lot more time!! Eamonn.

I think $60.00 a year per family sounds like a good deal. $50.00 Going to the Council and $10.00 going to National. I think the only way it would work would be if it was mandatory. I'd love to see the day when the Council News Sheet is about Scouts and Scouting and not about money. Boy Oh Boy!! Can you imagine not having to hear the FOS presentations and not being embarrassed when the unit popcorn sales fall short!! I don't think we need a complicated formula. If units want to sell Popcorn let them and let them keep the cash -All of it!! If units want to ask the parents for the cash let them and if they get more than the needed $60.00 per family let them keep that too!! How the money is raised is really of no concern as long as it gets to where it is supposed to be. As things are now Councils are going into the red. The main reason is because of poor budgeting. Scout Executives tend to be overly optimistic about how much money will come in. They set unrealistic goals for Districts and seem very surprised when the money doesn't come rolling in. Sadly when they wrote the budget they wrote it in the expectation that the money would be there. How much better it would be for all of us if we all knew that the Council had x amount of families and this times $50.00 and the income from grants, foundations and the like was the income. Sadly it just wouldn't work!! Our Council claims to have 10,600 members. Over half of these are in LFL and these members don't participate in FOS or popcorn. Most of the parents don't even know that their kid is in the program! (Most of it is done in school) So asking them for money isn't going to do much good. 5,000 members at $50.00 would only bring in $250,000. Last year the budget was over $1.3 million. resqman While I don't begrudge the money I spent on Scouting. I know for a fact that last year we as a family spent twice the amount you state you spent on your son in a sports team. Scouting can be a very expensive pass time. Look at the cost of the next world jamboree!! Worse still try starting a new Sea Scout Ship!! Of course we didn't have to participate in all that we did, we don't have to do anything, but then again your son doesn't have to play the sport!! I feel blessed that I can afford it. Some of my pals spend more on a weeks hunt that I spent on Scouting. It's their money and I'm happy for them. Some parents have a hard time just keeping shoes on the feet of their kids. Eamonn.

I like to think that I do follow the rules and guide lines set down by our organization. Admittedly, most of the time they don't adversely effect me. Some have said that I might be guilty of just blindly following the rules. I'm not and never have been very comfortable talking about sex. When it came to Scouting, it was a subject I was very happy to avoid. I think I was happy to hide behind the idea of leaving this to parents and clergy. I say hide behind, because in a lot of cases youth members were not active in a church and sex was something that kids didn't talk to their parents about. As a young Lad,I don't think any of the priests in my church would have been of much help to me and in our Irish Catholic home sex was never discussed. While I am a happily married heterosexual,I know that it was in the Boy Scouts I first found out about the "Birds and the bees". Many of the activities that went on after lights out, were very un-scout-like. While I have always looked upon them as part of growing up and have as an adult leader never got involved. (Boys comparing penis size and that sort of thing.)I suppose these could be viewed as homosexual behavior. I am of course talking about boys of about the same age. Now that I serve a coed unit of older youth members, they seem far more at ease talking about sex. The other night before the start of the Ship's meeting, they were discussing the sex education lesson they had at school and how they felt the school not covering abortion was wrong!! We have had Scouts (A male and female) dating and did have to come up with guidelines for what was and wasn't acceptable. I'd be happy if Scouting were "A Sex Free Zone", in fact I try and make sure the Ship is!! I do find it a little odd that the BSA choose to mention homosexuals and not point out that all youth members shouldn't be engaging in pre-martial sex. As a parent I have talked to my son about sex and sexual responsibility. I think he understands? But when almost every TV show now seems to have nothing but sex and bedroom scenes and causal sex seems to be acceptable, I can't help thinking that he thinks I'm lost in the dark ages. While I'm for our schools teaching sex education and family planning, I do think we in the BSA do need to take a firm stand on teaching abstinence from sex both homosexual and heterosexual for all of our youth members. Eamonn.

WDL Mom Of course I don't know your son. I can't help feeling that maybe the Lad has just too much on his plate what with baseball and basketball. I'm also not in favor of first year Boy Scouts serving as Den chief. These Lads need to make a clean break from the pack and move on. It can be a little tough for both the Lad and the parent. I remember when OJ went on his first Boy Scout outing. After being the "Big Man" in the pack, he looked so small and the other Scouts looked so big. Maybe I'm wrong? But I'm guessing that you take him to the games and are the Den Leader for the Den he was serving? Maybe he wasn't ready to make friends on his own because he just isn't used to doing things without having you behind him? Of course him not being a Boy Scout is going to complicate things for the family if your younger son and you decide to continue in Scouting, but I'm sure you will cross that bridge when you come to it. I have never been involved with baseball and basketball, but I used to coach soccer. The Traveling teams were made up of the best players. Sadly a lot of these kids thought they were really good and of course some were, but most of them just didn't have what it took to make the school team when the time came to change schools, when they failed to make the team or got involved in other nasty activities like homework!! They no longer played and ended up staying home playing video games. Still if you wait a few years he can join Sea Scouts, where the real action is!! Eamon.

If you look very carefully. The good looking fellow with the white hair looking through the telescope talks funny and has a strange name!! I wonder who he is? (Hi Mom!!) Eamonn.

Thank you epalmer84. I had never read: " Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position." Eamonn.

I'm very proud to be a Queen's Scout. At the time I received it I basked in the glory. I enjoyed seeing my name and mug in the paper. I was over-joyed to attend the ceremony at Saint George's Chapel at Windsor. 30 odd years have since past. I'm still proud, I no longer bask in the glory. I do look back and do feel that I did accomplish something, something that was good and worth while. At times I think "Did I really do all that?" A couple of the guys who were in the Venture Unit with me at that time are still in Scouting. They are great and wonderful Scouter's. They were exposed to many of the same great adults as I was and had open to them the same opportunities. One of them join me on my Pennine Way hike. He was and is to this day far better at hiking than I ever was, without him I know I would never have made it. Today he is a very successful architect. Earning the award was and is very special. I think that the path to earning it played a big part in making me the type of person I am today. But it was only a part. I know that a lot of other things went into the mix. Having reached the goal, was important to me, but over the years I have reached other goals, I have accomplished other goals which are every bit as important. Sure some of them have not resulted in any sort of accolade; no name in the paper or trips to castles! But you bet I'm proud of them. A pal of mine called around the house the other day. He has had a problem with alcohol and has joined AA. I admire him for doing this. He was trying to explain the program to me (I'm not sure why??) From what he was saying it seems that he needs to do his best to understand the 12 steps and try and live by them. I couldn't help thinking that this isn't unlike the Scout Oath and Law. I'd gladly give up my Queen's Scout Award to be able to do a better job of living the oath and law. Being a "Real Scout" must be better than being just someone who earned an award 30 odd years ago! Eamonn.

That might well be the case but it was stated that " homosexual behavior is automatically disqualifying" I'd like to know where the BSA has this? as I've never seen it. Eamonn

"Quantity vs quality. " But the only true quality of it lies with the person who receives it. Eamonn.

Have to admit that this has never come up with any situation that I have ever been in. It was stated that: "If we can say that homosexual behavior is automatically disqualifying" (The thread was about Eagle Scout rank) I think that it was surmised that homosexual behavior didn't meet the morally straight part of the Scout oath. I don't remember ever seeing this anywhere. I would think that youth members shouldn't be having sex with anyone? I'm also a little unsure what is meant by "homosexual behavior"? I of course do know that adults who are avowed homosexuals are not allowed to serve as adult leaders. I can't help wondering if a Lad who has casual sex with a girl is any less morally straight, than a Lad having sex with a boy? I'm in no way suggesting that either is right. Eamonn.

I'm a little unsure what the question is? If the question is "Should youth members who are actively involved in selling drugs be granted Eagle rank? I think that they are not living by the Scout Oath and Law and fail to meet the Scout Spirit requirement. If the question is "Should a youth who in the past sold drugs be totally disqualified from ever being able to earn Eagle Scout rank? I would hope that if the Lad has seen the error of his ways and is now Demonstrating Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in his everyday life, that we would work with him and help him meet his goal. If the question is? "Has the Eagle rank turned into a numbers game?" I'm not sure what "turned into a numbers game?" means? I'm sure at almost every level: Unit, District, Council, Region and National someone has kept count of the number of Scouts who have reached Eagle rank. The number of Scouts who reach the rank is viewed as a mark of success. A pal of mine went so far as to have his car license plate read "3 Eagles" to mark the fact that all 3 of his sons made Eagle Scout.I can tell you that last year our District had 38 Eagle Scouts. I used this number when I was asking people from the community to donate to Scouting. That being the case I'd have to agree that numbers do come into play. I do have a strange mix of feelings about Eagle Scout rank. I see the requirements as being very straight forward, following them and meeting them isn't rocket science. While making Eagle Scout is the mark of having done something very special, at times I think we the adults make it more than what it is. The Eagle belongs to the Scout. It is his Eagle. At the end of the day he is the only person who really knows what it's worth. Deep down he knows how good or bad a job he did while serving in position of responsibility. He knows if he really did earn the Merit Badges. He knows if he really did plan, develop, and give leadership to others in the service project. Of course along the way adults have helped and at times have coached. But the true worth of the Eagle Scout rank belongs to the person who receives it. He knows if it's just a chunk of metal and bit of cloth which doesn't have much meaning or if it is something really special. I'm happy to leave it that way. Eamonn.

Sounds like a Curry Chef who can't spell!! Eamonn

RangerT Old chap, I'm sorry if I'm coming off as an miserable old goat!! However for the record.: This thread came into being not because of the Schools state of repair!! It had more to do with the word felon!! Felon led me to Prime Suspect. I have no idea why!! The Eagle thread was supposed to let Hopper know that no matter what he does in Scouting, he does need to feel that he has disappointed me in any way. As far as the stuff about the Council and District goes. I do find it sad that we the volunteers in a lot of Councils are not receiving the level of service that is needed. I get very upset at some of the what can only be called underhanded shenanigans that some (No not all) Professionals are trying to pull off. On a very personal level I don't mind how many people call me or e-mail me. My frustration comes from the fact that they are not calling the people who can do something to help them. Sadly at this time I can't. I spent over 10 years serving on the District, Council and Area (Where I still serve) The time to move was I think about right. As for " midlife Scouters depression crisis." I wish there was a way of posting photos on this site. I could post the pictures of the Sea Scout Ship I serve cruising on Chesapeake Bay the weekend before last or the pictures of the Scouts and your's truly the week before trying our hand at all night cosmic bowling. Things for me are a little rough at home, but I really enjoy the time I spend with the Scouts I serve. The Scouts plan what they want to do. We have a group that have diverse interests they tell me that they are enjoying the program. I really don't think that I'm living in the past or trying to relive anything. So I kinda think your reading something that just isn't there. As for the Parsons Green Maternity Hospital now being a family planning clinic? I really don't care!! My family planning days are done and I don't think I'm pregnant. The reason there is a green there is because in the days of the Black Death it was a mass grave for the people who died.But even if the hospital is now gone, I'm pleased to report that the White Horse Pub is still there as a pub as it has been since 1688. Eamonn.

I have to admit that this thread was aimed at Hops-Scout. Hopper and I did get to meet at the last Jambo. He was a youth staff member working on the Action Area D Rappelling wall. (OJ was a youth-staffer in the COPE area) The Area D Rappelling area was headed by Jerry Clark, who is from the same Council as myself and while it might be wrong to talk for Jerry, I do think that both he and myself were really impressed with Hopper. I know he had plans that his Eagle project would be done at his local baseball field (I nearly said pitch!!) If one day I ever make it to Scouter's Heaven, I think that the heavenly Troop, will be made up of Scouts just like him. I really would have liked him to have become an Eagle Scout. I think that maybe he thinks he has in some way disappointed me. I do know how busy he is. I do know that he is one day going to serve his country.His days as a Boy Scout are rapidly coming to an end. I do hope that we have served him well? Only the other day I was going over the photos on my computer and there is a picture of the two of us standing under our Jamboree Gateway. I do respect his decision not to become a "Deathbed Eagle", OK, so deep down I wish that maybe he would have a change of heart. But no matter what, he is a super fellow. Every wish I have for him is for the best. I hope that maybe one day he will be able to return to Scouting and serve the Scouts in where ever he is. If he is still around in 2010 and I'm still kicking maybe he can throw me off the rappelling wall, while Jerry pretends not to notice. Eamonn.

While I'm sure you know more about what your doing than I do!! I'm not sure if I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a Travel Agency. Having organized a fair amount of trips which have involved flying and going overseas, I found that most travel agents are not that interested because there just isn't enough money in it for them. Most youth groups are trying to find the best deal out there and are willing to deal directly with airlines and the like. A pal of mine just took a group from New York to Florida Sea Base and used Jet Blue. He tells me that he saved a lot by using a discount airline that most travel agents don't deal with. When I'm traveling I tend to use one of the on-line discount providers or look for the best deal I can find. One of your competitors e-mailed me the other week with a deal that included airfare. It wasn't the cheapest way to go, but from an organizers point of view, it would seem to do away with a lot of headaches. Back when we (our family) did use a travel agent, we kinda liked the idea that we were dealing with a real person!! Someone that we knew and who if things didn't go as well as we might have liked we could go to and complain!! If the travel agency is five states away, I'd just as soon use the Internet. Some weeks back someone did send me the details about the offer you are offering for 2007. I knew I wasn't able to use it, but I did add it to the e-mail that goes to everyone in the District. (Yes I'm a nice little Eamonn!!) While I have never as yet had the opportunity to use your services, everything I have heard has been good and dare I say much better value than BSA Florida Sea Base. I think if I were in your shoes (Which of course I'm not) I'd focus on getting the word out there!! (We are selling ads for the NE-Region Sea Scout Ball, dinner program!!) As well as providing as much clear information (Names of Airports, airlines who serve the airports, taxi services, times and the like) For our Ship a trip to the Bahamas, would give us bragging rights for a couple of years, but it would take a couple of years for our Scouts to save or earn the money needed. I do wish you all the very best of British luck and do want to thank you for what you are doing for our Scouts. Who knows maybe we can make it in 2008? Eamonn.

jr56 Lucky you. The hospital I where I was born is now a family planning clinic!! Eamonn.

The son of a local Scoutmaster is not a very nice Lad. He really didn't want to be a Scout, but with Dad as SM he was kinda forced into it. About two years back he received his Eagle Scout rank. I had nothing to do with it in any way. OJ is in the same year at the same school as this Lad. He couldn't believe that this Lad had received the Eagle Scout rank and said to me that he thought if they gave it to him, it wasn't worth aiming or working for. I was happy when OJ had a change of heart. As I posted over the years if OJ was going to be an Eagle Scout he was the one who had to earn it and it would be his Eagle Rank. Many of the best Scouter's I know didn't make Eagle. Not making it isn't the end of the world. The Mother of one the Sea Scouts phoned me today to inform me that her son had gone hunting and would miss the QD meeting, while she had me on the phone she asked what I could do to help her son work on his Eagle Scout rank? I think maybe I was a little less than honest. I did say that I'd have a chat with the Lad. I didn't say that I already had a chat and the Lad isn't interested and isn't willing to do the requirements needed. It just isn't important to him. He is having a good time and doing well as a Sea Scout. I'm uncertain if he will ever make Quartermaster, but I'm uncertain if any of the Scouts will? I was of course very proud when OJ made Eagle. I was proud that he had done it for himself. I'm proud of the Scouts in the Ship, not because they have advanced but because they are nice kids. I feel that I'm doing my job, I'm here to help and support them in doing what they want to do, if that is working on advancement that's fine. We do a lot of the requirements and meet them by just doing what we do!! But when it comes to keeping logs or doing stuff at home, it becomes their baby. I'm not playing Mother Hen. In many ways I can respect a Lad who has been busy and opts not to become a last minute Eagle Scout. At age 17 he is old enough to make his own bed and lie on it. Eamonn.

"The situation is that a young man in a neighboring community has been convicted of a felony. He and some friends were caught in possession of a pipe bomb." A felony? The term felony is used for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. It means a crime against the government. It is principally used in criminal law in the United States legal system. In the United States, a felony is one of the highest types of offenses, and may be punishable with death or imprisonment. It is a crime punishable by one or more years of imprisonment. I would respectfully suggest if indeed this Lad had been convicted of a felony,that he would not be around to be a Boy Scout. Eamonn.

There I was on a Sunday night, taking time off from my jet-style life?? Supper was eaten, the dogs fed, watered and walked. I watched 60 Minutes, the Amazing Race on CBS and went to PBS for Masterpiece Theater. I was looking forward to Helen Mirren playing Detective Superintendent Tennison in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act. The show started and soon something looked very familiar. Yes the school they used was the one I used to teach in!! Sadly it looked very shabby and hasn'aged very well!! But then again I'm not sure if I have. Eamonn.

In this age of the 30 second sound bite, it seems to me that very often we don't get or ever find out the real story. We are taken in by words and terms that I find to be misleading. What the heck is "Action News?" Why is the weather report now "The Severe Weather Storm Warning" even when there is no storms? I was unsure of the use of the word "Felon" in the thread that started all this. The word "Bomb" has many meanings. Add to all of this that many judges don't have very much leeway when it comes to what to do and what sentence to pass. A few years back OJ won a pie eating contest at the October OA weekend, the prize was a small pocket knife. He forgot to remove it from his coat, took it to school, was dumb enough to show it to someone at school and ended up being suspended for 3 days for carrying an "Deadly Weapon" It was a 3 inch pocket knife!! I'm 100% for the zero tolerance policy that the school has in place. I wasn't happy that he was suspended, that that seems to be the going rate for that crime!! I do however object to the "Deadly Weapon" Eamonn